Turkey: Media 'Distorted' Minister's Words On Hdp Voters

Turkey's energy minister has criticized the country's media for "distorting" his remarks over pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) voters.



Speaking in Istanbul on Wednesday, Taner Yildiz tried to clarify a Tuesday statement that HDP voters would "change their minds" about the party if they remained without electricity for three days.



"I did not threaten any HDP voters with cutting their electricity for three days. I meant that it is Kurdish citizens who are mostly affected by the terrorist deeds of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)," Yildiz said.



His remarks came after Tuesday's PKK-linked explosion at the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars-Erzurum gas pipeline in eastern Turkey.



His initial remarks drew criticism in the media.



On Tuesday, Yildiz issued a written statement which read: "Our citizens realize that the deeds of the HDP have been changing over the past two months. Whether there's an early election or not, I think the majority of the HDP's votes will disappear.



"I expect when the voters are left without electricity for three days, they will evaluate the situation properly."



Stating today that he was not trying to amend his words, Yildiz said: "Some media members implicated that I needed to give correction; I did not need to give any correction. I meant what I said."



Yildiz added that on Tuesday the PKK had cut down electricity pylons of a cement plant in Mardin, a southeastern province, and attacked petrol and oil pipelines in the eastern provinces of Kars and Sirnak.



"The factory will not able to produce cement and some cities will not get gas for a while. We are getting complaint letters and phone calls from Kurdish people against the PKK and its deeds."



"So, it is the Kurdish people who are damaged most by the PKK," Yildiz said.



Calling on the media to see "the big picture", Yildiz added: "Today the issue is the PKK and its operations not the implications [of his words]." - İstanbul